Carmen's Messenger eBook

When he got out of the elevator, he saw the other
going along a passage in front, which he thought curious,
because he could not have stayed more than a few moments
in the bar. Moreover his limp was not noticeable
now he imagined himself alone. Foster went on
quietly, keeping his distance, and knitted his brows
in thoughtful surprise when the other opened a door.
The man, who did not seem to know Telford, had gone
into his room.

When the door shut he heard another step and saw,
as he had half-expected, the man who had watched Telford
entering the passage, Foster immediately turned his
head and went on to his room, where he sat down in
the nearest chair. He had got something of a
shock, since he now knew why he had studied the fellow
with the limp. His brain had been unconsciously
occupied with a description Lucy Stephen had given
him. The man who had gone into Telford’s
room was Walters.

XXVII

THE MINE

When Foster was thinking of going to bed Pete, whom
he had not seen all day, came into the rotunda, and
Foster remarked that his boots were very wet.

“It’s saft ootside an’ I’ve
been paidlin’ in the snow,” he said and,
with the poacher’s instinctive caution, put his
feet out of sight beneath a table.

“Where have you been in the dark?” Foster
asked.

“I thought I’d maybe better watch the
bridge over yon bit creek.”

Foster frowned. It looked as if he had not much
talent for detective work and could only concentrate
upon one point at a time. While he had been
content to watch what was going on at the hotel, Pete
had watched the bridge, and had found out something.
Foster admitted that such success as he had had was
rather due to luck than ability.

“Well,” he said, “what did you see
there?”

“To begin with, the man we followed cam’
doon the street and went into a shop; and I allooed
they might keep something I wanted. He bought
a basket.”

Foster nodded. On Canadian railways, economical
second-class passengers often carry provisions instead
of using the meal stations.

“He bought some tinned meat and biscuits,”
Pete resumed. “Then some tea and a wee
spirit-stove.”

“There’s no train until to-morrow and
I imagine the fellow wouldn’t be satisfied with
canned meat, so long as he could get something better
when the cars stopped.”

Pete grinned. “I’m no’ saying
he meant to tak’ the train. It looked
mair like he was going to picnic in the woods.”

“Ah!” said Foster abruptly. “I
suppose you followed the man?”

“Far enough to see him tak’ the road we
went. Then I cam’ back. Ye see,
I kent where he was going.”

Foster made a sign of agreement, because it was obvious
that Telford was going to the shack at the mine.
He understood how the fellow had got out without
his seeing him, since it is usual in Canada to have
a separate entrance to a hotel bar and he had stupidly
been satisfied with watching the hall.